Deeply devoted to God and guided by the moral demands of that faith.
Reach for it when praising religious character inside a context that shares the term's theology
Neighbors remembered her as a godly woman whose faith appeared in practical care.
| warm | |
|---|---|
| professional | |
| formal |
warm
saintly
Fits when extraordinary patience or goodness invites affectionate praise
Careful Saintly exaggerates ordinary decency and may imply formal sainthood.
professional
Fits when sincere, committed religious belief is the exact point
Careful Devout does not claim that the person's moral judgments are correct.
professional
Fits when ethical character matters without making a theological claim
Careful Virtuous removes the person's relationship to God.
formal
Fits when the tradition regards a person or thing as sacred
Careful Holy is stronger than godly and can imply consecration or divine status.
formal
pious
Fits when visible devotion and religious observance are central
Careful Pious can sound ironic or suggest a show of virtue.
formal
Fits when conduct conforms to a stated moral or religious standard
Careful Righteous can sound smug and may be used outside religious devotion.
godly person
A godly person, in his view, welcomed correction as well as praise.
godly life
The memoir presents a godly life through daily acts of mercy.
godly counsel
She sought godly counsel from leaders she trusted.
Keep in mind
Godly is a theological judgment, not a universal synonym for good. Use it only when the relevant faith context is clear.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated
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